Blog Page 2 of 5 | Atlas Signs and Plaques

What is Oil Rubbed Bronze?

Oil Rubbed Bronze isn’t Bronze at all, it is Copper with a Patina Finish. The other answer is that Oil Rubbed Bronze can be anything the manufacturer or craftsperson wants it to be. Since there is no true definition, most agree in broad terms that Oil Rubbed Bronze should have darker brown tones with a bit of the metal base material showing through. No Solicitors Abandon All Hope Bronze Raised Sign How you get there is another story, and often you can’t get there at all. Many are happy to give the illusion of oil rubbed bronze by faux-finishing the piece or using a spray paint of some sort. This makes it very difficult to have a little metal showing through, since we are talking paint in this case. Look at oil rubbed bronze furniture, lamps, kitchen and bath accessories. You will usually find that the coloration is [...]

janey freid2019-01-29T12:03:25-07:00January 25th, 2019|How we do it|

Country Decor Plaques For Home Or Cabin

Whimsical and lighthearted, these nature inspired plaques are country and cool. Everyone has something they specifically love about where they live. Bear Cub Cottage Plaque - Bronze Alaska Welcome Please Remove Shoes These custom address plaques, welcome signs and name plates are a unique decor for your home. Your guests will enjoy this special touch and admire your great taste and creativity. These home decor plaques make great gifts as well! The Batchelder Tile Address Plaque - Bronze Dog Shaped Custom Canine Sign - Brass Retriever Shown with Optional T30 Screws Vegetable Garden Welcome Plaque Available in Copper, Bronze, Brass and Stainless Steel and different patinas depending on the metal you choose. Be creative and make a statement at your front door, out [...]

janey freid2020-06-18T09:22:23-06:00January 25th, 2019|NEW Signs and Plaques|

Looking Back At The United States Capitol Visitor Center

United States Capitol Visitor Center Project When Atlas Signs and Plaques (formerly Metal Facades) completes projects destined for interesting places, we ask our clients, “if possible, can you send us photos of the installation or completed project”. We were particularly interested in seeing the installation process of the two large frames that were metal coated for our client, Hadley Exhibits of Buffalo NY, and destined for each end of the United States Capitol Visitor Center (CVC). The Capitol Visitor Center has won major design awards and will be seen by 4 million visitors each year. Mr. Norbert Witkowski, Production Coordinator for Hadley was kind enough to send some photos of the installation process and the page above from Event Design. The frames were originally to be cast bronze, but the hollow limestone walls couldn’t handle the weight. So unknown to most, the 17 x 23 foot frames [...]

janey freid2019-01-29T12:25:14-07:00January 24th, 2019|How we do it|

The French Have It And Now You Can Get It

Getting Frenchy at Atlas Signs and Plaques French architecture is among the richest and most interesting the world has ever known. The origins of French architecture can be traced back to the Stone Age. Hmmm, I am imagining an address plaque from that time… Needless to say, French architecture and design will always be an interesting topic and one we have embraced a bit with our address and name plaques. Fleur-de-Lis Arch Plaque Stainless Steel Our Fleur-de-Lis Address Number Plaque brings a rich sense of the past to your home. The Fleur-de-Lis, translates as Flower of the Lily and is steeped in history. From France to England, to Florence, to Religious Symbolism, the Fleur-de-Lys has represented a virtuous force for good. French Country, French decor, French Food. It’s all wonderful. Also shown above in our very French Collage photo are the oval plaques with a [...]

janey freid2019-01-29T12:17:06-07:00January 24th, 2019|Address & Number Plaques|

Do Fonts Talk – The Writing’s on the Wall

Impact Font Do fonts speak? Do fonts convey a message without the necessity of words? Can fonts define an era? Is it possible for fonts to set a mood? Do fonts have personality? The answer is yes and more to all of the above. Additionally, typefaces and fonts can serve as an iconic identity for a large company or even an entire nation. Think about the fonts used to define Coke, Walmart, GM, or Martha Stewart. The fonts for these and other corporations are uniform throughout buildings, advertising, publications, and letterheads, presenting a uniform and consistent identity to far flung assets and personnel. The fonts can so much define the company that when a total organizational remake is in order, logos and fonts are changed giving a whole new look and feel to the firm. Is it reaching to say that a font can define a country? Pull [...]

janey freid2019-01-29T12:12:34-07:00January 24th, 2019|Address & Number Plaques|

Religious Plaques & Wall Hangings

Religious Dedication Plaque - Bronze Atlas Signs and Plaques makes beautiful religious plaques and wall hangings for Churches, Synagogues, and Cathedrals. These custom exterior or interior signs, crucifixes, and ornamental wall hangings add an elegant, handcrafted look to compliment any kind of architecture. Nueva Dedication Plaque - Pewter From the modern day, open concept style to the Old World historical stone structures, we always keep the architectural integrity of the building in mind, creating special religious plaques that will last decades. Below we’ve included pictures of Religious dedication plaques. Atlas signs are made with an HDU substrate; a high density urethane base that is impact resistant and has been used in the commercial signage industries for decades. Light weight, and extremely durable the HDU is coated with LuminOre®. This is a patented metal coating that is chemically bonded to the HDU. It will not chip, [...]

janey freid2019-01-29T12:08:01-07:00January 23rd, 2019|Custom Signs|

How To Apply Finishes To HDU Or HDP Foam Projects

HDU Foam Ready for the Finish The Finish Completes the Project High-Density Urethane (HDU) and High-Density Polyurethane (HDP) (different names for the same basic product) is a wonderful material for hand carving, shaping, and machining. Having a closed cell structure, an even consistency and no grain make it a dream to work with whether making prototypes for casting, or toys for the grandchildren. It cuts effortlessly with all kinds of saws and rotary tools, and, because it is without grain, is much safer than wood for hand carving. Enamel on Background of Aluminum Coated HDU When completed, HDU foam is easily finished with readily available paints, stains, and dyes making it highly desirable as a medium for the craft person or hobbyist. It is utilized extensively in the sign industry because it is easily worked, environmentally friendly, non-toxic, and impervious to rot, petroleum, water, [...]

janey freid2019-01-29T12:26:48-07:00January 23rd, 2019|How we do it|

Tell Me, Exactly What I Am Buying From Atlas Signs And Plaques

No Soliciting Signs, Address Plaques, MIA and Military, Man Cave, Privacy and Message Signs Custom Made at Atlas Signs and Plaques The signs and plaques that we create are not castings from a dirty polluting foundry. Our signs and plaques have a base of modern High Density Urethane (HDU) board. This is a product that was developed for the aerospace industry and has been used for signage for over 40 years. We coat our HDU signs and plaques with a cold applied, real metal coating that is in use world-wide as an architectural and industrial coating. It is a well-proven, tough, and beautiful coating that gives the look of cast metal without the limitations. Read our blog post about the metal coating we use. Our signs and plaques are very durable, but will not stand up to repeated abuse. If you wish to embed a plaque in [...]

janey freid2019-01-29T12:11:45-07:00January 23rd, 2019|How we do it|

Pine Tree, Pine Over Me

Pine Over Me Plaques by Atlas Signs and Plaques Pine Over Me Plaques by Atlas Signs and Plaques “Pine Tree, Pine over Me” is a popular song published in 1953. The best-selling version in the United States was a recording by The McGuire Sisters – A Singing Trio that became famous singing American Pop Music. Pineapple Welcome Address Plaque And just as the McGuire Sisters sang, Atlas Signs and Plaques has a few Pines to “Pine Over”…, especially as these beautiful days of Fall inspire through its changing canvas. (Oh we are singing in the Pines, and coming up with new designs) Pine Cone Vertical Plaque - Bronze Shown with Optional T30 Screws We have everything from pine tree, pine cone and pineapple signs that can have your custom message put on it for all your neighbors to "pine over"!

janey freid2019-01-29T12:01:40-07:00January 23rd, 2019|Custom Signs|

Free HDU Scrap Pieces From Atlas Signs & Plaques

HDU Scrap You can really get something for nothing at Atlas Signs and Plaques. We are giving away, for FREE, small pieces of HDU Sign Foam. If you are not familiar with HDU, I will give a few links later in this post. What is the Catch? None –You just pay the shipping. Why? Because we love you! And, we are very busy, and no process is 100% efficient. Although we really work on limiting waste, we do generate some small pieces that we just can’t use in our process. We just don’t like clogging the landfill with our waste, so maybe you can make something useful or beautiful from it and help to save the planet. HDU Scrap That’s it!! Just place your FREE order online with Atlas Signs and Plaques and we will pack and ship to you within a few [...]

janey freid2019-01-29T12:05:59-07:00January 23rd, 2019|Giveaways|